Beyond Individual Talent
The irregular U19 team coach called Ha Sunmoon over. "That was impressive. You really broke through and scored."
"I told you I could do it."
"So, are you going to keep playing football like that?"
"Yes! Of course. I can do even better."
Ha Sunmoon did his best to sell himself. "Hmm… I see. Then head back to the pitch for now. We'll talk after the match."
A short while later, the game ended. The score was 3-0. Thanks to Ha Sunmoon tearing apart Girona's right flank, they had already put three goals past them before halftime.
"Good work, everyone. We earned a solid victory today."
The U19 coach praised the players, and the rest of the squad looked pleased. "Ha, you were excellent out there. Really something."
"You'll probably be moving up to the B team soon."
"When you get there, look out for me too."
The other players showered Ha Sunmoon with compliments, and for a moment he felt certain he was about to be promoted. But the coach's words said otherwise.
"Ah… I think you should stay with the U19 side a little longer."
At the U19 coach's remark, Ha Sunmoon's eyes widened. Harrison, who had been listening nearby, frowned at the news that his protégé would not be moving up to the B team.
"What? Why? What else do I need to do here?"
"You've proven you're an exceptionally talented player, but you haven't shown you can play as part of a team. Talent alone won't be enough to survive at the professional level. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Ha Sunmoon still looked unconvinced. "You can't move up because there are things you're lacking. Your dribbling? It's fantastic. But this is a team sport. It's not about one person shining—it's about everyone shining together."
"But… but…"
"If you don't properly understand what you're missing, you'll stay stuck where you are. And if you start skipping training or stop giving your full effort, your name won't even make the bench, let alone the starting lineup."
* * *
"What am I supposed to do…"
Back at home, Ha Sunmoon was fuming. [Kid?]
"What."
[I think you should play the way the U19 coach wants.]
"Why? You think I'm not good enough either?"
[No, no, that's not it. What the U19 coach wants from you right now isn't just to be good.]
"Of course being good matters in the pros! Why should I do things anyone can do?"
[Anyone can do it? Then why can't you?]
"I just don't! It's pointless."
Harrison shook his head. [No. You're not choosing not to—you can't. That's why you need to learn how.]
Ha Sunmoon turned away, refusing to listen. [The more you act like this, the further away your chances get. The longer it'll take before you play for the first team.]
"I don't care."
[You've already got a comfortable home and enough money to focus on football. Wasn't your goal to keep improving, become a famous player, and find your family?]
At Harrison's repeated advice, Ha Sunmoon finally looked back at him. His face was on the verge of tears. "It is! But I don't know how. Why isn't just playing well enough?"
[Don't get hung up on that. You still want to keep playing and climb higher, right?]
"Of course I do. *sniff*"
[I'm speaking from experience. Your situation isn't normal—because you're already good. Ironically, the coach is holding you back because he wants to promote you.]
Ha Sunmoon still struggled to follow. "Then why stop me from playing well?"
[Coaches don't usually tell young players to only focus on basics, to not move around too much, or to just pass. They expose them to all kinds of chaotic situations so they gain experience. I went through similar training when I was your age. Didn't they do the same in Brazil?]
Ha Sunmoon thought back to his time in Brazil. There, players were free to use their individual skills however they wanted. Even the youngest players drilled flashy moves and learned to deceive opponents. By the time they were still kids, every player had at least one signature trick.
"You're right. In Brazil they let us do whatever we wanted."
[But there are times when they rein that in. Times when they focus on teaching team-oriented play. Do you know when that happens?]
"Uh… I don't know."
[Right before you move up to the first team. Because football is a team sport. Think about it—does one great player win matches in the Premier League? No. You need great players who can combine and break down the opposition together.]
"That's true."
[From the B team onward, it's not youth football anymore. It's another league team. You'll be playing against other first-team squads, right?]
"Yes. That's right."
[So think of this as the club preparing you for the B team. If they weren't going to use you, they wouldn't even mention it. They'd just train you quietly, leave you out of every squad, and the coach wouldn't even talk to you. Starting to understand?]
Harrison explained it bit by bit until Ha Sunmoon nodded. [So show the U19 coach you can do everything. That's all you need to do. It might take some time before they accept that you're good at everything…]
"Then it's just a matter of time."
[Exactly.]
* * *
The Espanyol first team was in chaos. After Rubi resigned following a seventh-place finish in the 18/19 season, the club had struggled to find a replacement, only securing one after the new campaign had already begun.
"Damn Chinese owners."
David, the B-team coach, had built up quite a bit of resentment toward the board and the owners. The club should have offered Rubi a better deal after that seventh-place finish, but no agreement had been reached. Several other managers had applied for the job afterward, yet the club kept citing financial issues and refused to sign any of them.
The one silver lining was that the newly appointed Pablo had come from Sevilla. The timing was late, but at least it was a name David could trust. They would have to overhaul the tactics in a hurry, but it was better than nothing.
"Welcome to Espanyol, Coach Pablo."
"Thank you."
"Sorry to throw you straight into a meeting. Time is tight."
"I understand. I was planning to call one myself, so this works out well."
The recruitment and finance directors, along with several key board members and the coaches from each team, gathered immediately for a meeting.
"The first-team squad isn't bad, but there are a few weak positions."
"I've noted that. We managed to reinforce the attack with loans, but the defense still looks thin."
"That's correct, Coach."
David relayed everything he knew to the newly arrived Pablo, who listened carefully to the B-team coach's input.
"How many players from the B team can we bring up?"
"I don't know what formation you'll use, but if we're looking at a 4-2-3-1, there's at least one player who could fill any position. Still, you should judge their level yourself. Some might not even make the squad."
"Understood. What about the U19 team? Any players worth promoting?"
The U19 coach hesitated. "There is one."
"There's someone from the U19s who can come up? Then promote him straight to the B team."
"No, that would be difficult."
"Difficult? Why?"
"Well… he's not ready for the first team yet. It's still too soon."
At the U19 coach's words, David reacted. "Ah… are you talking about Sunmoon?"
The U19 coach nodded. "Yes. He put on an incredible performance against Girona's U19s yesterday, but he still struggles with structured team play. At this rate, he might need to stay in the U19s for up to a year."
"Hmm… If he dominated against U19 opposition, shouldn't he already be in the B team?"
Pablo spoke up, but the U19 coach looked uneasy. "He's still only a 2003-born player—far too young. He's a good prospect, but promoting him too quickly might stunt his development."
"Ah… A 2003-born player… I suppose that makes sense. He must be quite the prospect then."
Learning the player in question was born in 2003, Pablo withdrew his suggestion to promote him immediately, though his curiosity had clearly been piqued. A sixteen-year-old already playing U19 football was unusual enough, but dominating against other U19 players suggested serious potential.